


Night's Unfolding Arms

by harabote



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Age Difference, First Time, Hand Jobs, Love Confessions, M/M, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 07:50:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14039574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harabote/pseuds/harabote
Summary: He never expected to find himself head over heels for a man almost three times his age, but if he were able to stop, he would have by now.





	Night's Unfolding Arms

Stained, peeling wallpaper lined the walls of the dilapidated hotel, no doubt the result of countless years of wear. The questionable cleanliness of the room only served as a temporary distraction in Bernhardt’s search for something, _anything_ to focus on, but fell like the rest of those fleeting thoughts into the back of his mind, not to resurface.

Mindlessly, his hand waved back and forth, creating little ripples in what little was left of his brandy. He had never been much of a drinker, much less familiar with hard liquor, so as not to feel the burn on his throat again, he sat, played with it, not daring to drink another drop of what was no doubt expensive and wasted on someone with no taste for fine drinks.

Tonight was a celebration, albeit a small one. They would head to Phezzan the next evening, a plan that seemed dull compared to the compassion that the FPA had shown them in their time together. Schneider’s trust in Merkatz was certainly not misplaced if it had led him here. All in all, the two of them had been lucky to be treated so kindly. A celebration of their good luck lead to a bottle of brandy, an evening of conversation, and…

… and… that was it.

 _“Was I expecting something else?”_ The commander asked himself, but he knew the answer immediately. He almost felt silly bothering to ask.

Of _course_ he was.

His years with the admiral had brought with them confusing feelings he wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with. Though before they had been easily buried under the responsibilities and stress of his work, they had come to a head that night that Merkatz put the gun to his head, seconds away from cutting his life much too short for the commander’s liking.

It was as if the truth spilled out all at once then, staining his thoughts for every subsequent second. Saving the admiral may have been the best thing he had ever done, but he hadn’t got a restful night’s sleep since.

He never expected to find himself head over heels for a man almost three times his age, but if he were able to stop, he would have by now.

Pushing the glass onto the side table, Schneider forced his scrambled thoughts into something more unified: _I should sleep_. Even if it meant repeating his routine to himself a thousand times over to drown out his constant thoughts of Merkatz, it was better than dwelling on expectations of a fantasy that he knew full well would never be fulfilled.

And… that was fine, he told himself in the vain hope he would believe it. He was content just being by his side, just as any good subordinate would be.

 

 

 

Sleep would not come easy no matter how much he begged and pleaded to whatever higher power might have been listening. The high admiral had gladly taken the room with only one bed when faced with no other choice, figuring it better than having no place to sleep at all, but the brunet could not have possibly imagined a worse scenario. It was like torture to share a bed with the man he admired so intensely, inches yet lightyears apart.

Though nowhere close to touching him, the heat of High Admiral Merkatz’ body seemed to find him just fine under the heavy quilt. Every little hint of his warmth set him on fire, so desperate to feel him that he worried he’d go insane before the night’s end. He couldn’t help but watch Merkatz as he slept, resigning himself to at least this small indulgence if he was stuck being awake for the rest of the night anyway.

Oh, to say he looked good was an understatement! The wrinkles that decorated his face, his carefully-groomed facial hair, his soft, silver locks… He was well aware that his opinion may have been abnormal, but to the young commander, the man in front of him was perfection redefined. The countless hours he had spent fantasizing of being in this very situation, to dare to go just a bit farther and _kiss_ him flooded his mind now that he was mere inches away, so painfully _close!_

He had the chance. He could fulfill that fantasy. He could finally have him if he _just kissed him._

Bernhardt moved his face closer bit by bit, just enough to almost brush against his lips but stop himself before he really could. Dreaming about him was one thing, but stealing a kiss from a man who was both asleep and certainly not interested was another entirely. He could never forgive himself if he really _had_ taken advantage of the sleeping admiral, even if the temptation was no doubt strong.

How pathetic he felt when he thought rationally, wishing so desperately for a man leagues above him in every way. Over 40 years older. A widow. His _superior_ , of all people. If only he knew… but thank God he didn’t.

The commander, exhausted but unable to sleep, sighed in resignation. The high admiral stirred as a result, eyes squeezing just a bit tighter before finally opening, meeting directly with Schneider’s in the most horrific timing he had ever experienced in his life.

Just for a second, time had all but stopped.

Much too close for comfort, not in any way he could blame on the size of the bed, and making eye contact much to readily, Schneider had been caught red handed. His face flushed red, shame written all over his face. If it had been anyone else, he could come up with an excuse, any reason to be doing what he was doing, but in front of Merkatz, he was powerless.

“…Can’t sleep, sir?”

His voice cracked. He was a goner.

In the dark of the room, his superior’s face was near unreadable, even when just inches from him. Only faintly could he see the twinge of confusion on his face, the sleepiness in his eyes… the outline he had admired so just moments before now terrified him, wondering where things would go from here, wondering just how badly he had messed up.

There was a moment of silence, a silence so loud in his ears that the young commander was worried he’d go deaf before his sentence was finally dished out. The wait was more painful than the embarrassment ever could be.

Finally, Merkatz opened his mouth, pausing once more before finally speaking.

“I need a glass of water. Would you like me to get you one as well, Schneider?”

“Sir?”

“I’d like to have a talk with you when I get back.” His voice was soft, gentle. There was no accusatory tone or disgust, merely the matter-of-fact, kind Merkatz he was familiar with.

The high admiral slid out of bed, taking a brief moment to stretch before he set out. Despite his kindness, something about the situation made the brunet’s heart sink down into the depths of his chest.

 

 

The air stilled when the door opened once again.

Every individual hair on his arms stood on end when Merkatz came into view. Though he sensed no anger or hesitation from the high admiral, the threat of being removed from his position, _removed from Merkatz’ side_ made his stomach sink deep down inside of him.

Afraid to meet his superior’s eyes, the brunet stared at the condensation of the outside of the glass. His thoughts ran rampant, but he found an unusual calm in watching the small drops collect at the bottom of the glass, free of worry.

Only Merkatz clearing his throat pulled him back to the harsh reality of the situation he was in.

“Earlier…” it was clear from his expression that he was trying to pick his next words carefully, which ramped up the tension even further in the younger man. “What were you doing, Schneider?”

 _“Wishing I could kiss you”_ wasn’t exactly the right way to answer, even if it was entirely true. Would he believe him if he said otherwise, though? He had never been a good liar, nor had he ever had reason to lie to the man he followed so passionately. This was foreign territory, and his ignorance of the area would certainly lose him the war.

“Nothing.” The moment that single word left his mouth, he knew he was done for. His defensive tone, the way his voice wavered... Admiral Merkatz could see right through him, no doubt about it.

Silence reigned only for a short moment before the older man hummed to himself, taking a sorely needed sip of water as he contemplated. Bernhardt didn’t feel that he deserved the consideration and gentleness that his superior was readily willing to offer him, but he appreciated it despite that.

He spoke once more as the glass knocked against the table. “It looked as if you were trying to kiss me.” Though matter-of-fact, he was gentle with his words. While the young commander may lose the war, the enemy was kind enough to spare his life (even if the shame of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks.) He had known full well that Merkatz had understood exactly what he was doing, but hearing it out loud cemented the fact that what he did and what he wanted was absolutely wrong.

“I’m sorry,” he offered in place of an excuse, eyes no longer able to meet his superior’s face. “I promise I wasn’t going to go through with it, Admiral. That would have been inexcusable.”

“But you thought about it?” The older man, for the first time since waking up, sounded truly surprised. In that moment, Bernhardt had almost wished he had come up with a better lie and avoided this entire situation, but lying didn’t sit well with him, either.

A chill flew across his body in a wave as he realized that he was doomed to embarrass himself to death.

“Yes.”

Why, only then, did he sound so confident in his answer when it served as yet another nail in his coffin?

Before the younger man could get an idea of Merkatz’ response—though he expected contempt and disgust before all else—the admiral rubbed his face with a large hand, giving way to silence once more. Without being able to see his face, without being able to gauge how he felt, Bernhardt felt truly and completely gutted, only able to expect the worst.

The brunet stared down at his untouched water, watched as more and more condensation covered the glass, collected, and slowly fell down to the rim. Every time he panicked and tried to force thoughts of the situation back into the forefront of his mind, he focused on it more and more, knowing that the situation was out of his hands now.

 _“I don’t really have any regrets,”_ he thought suddenly, though the words felt bitter. _“My time with him was time well-spent. I’m sure even if I’m relieved of duty, I’ll figure something out.”_

His mind went silent then, all thought focused back to the glass.

With one last droplet collected on the side, it built up just enough water to finally make its way down to the rim. As if on cue, Merkatz spoke again.

“Is that all you wanted?”

He sounded weary, worried, as if even his minutes of contemplation weren’t enough to give him the confidence to speak his mind.

“…Sir?”

Merkatz begin to speak again, face hidden in his hands as if to avoid eye contact himself. “A man as young as yourself with no wife, no family, and all you wanted was a kiss?”

His face burned so hot that he feared nothing would be left behind. Something about his tone, his phrasing gave him a sense of hope that even though the more rational side of him tried to tear it down, it couldn’t be completely pushed out of his mind.

The next few moments all blurred together, running parallel with a booming _“this can’t be happening”_ , _“there’s no way this is happening.”_ He barely noticed Merkatz standing up, coming closer and closer before it was too late.

Static filled his brain when he felt his superior’s hand on his chin, pulling him up to face him. Once their eyes met, shortly soon after did their lips, too, and all coherent thought was lost.

Without thought and consideration for what may happen, Bernhardt raised his hands to cup his admiral’s face, deepening the kiss, pouring in every single bit of love and affection that he had felt for these past few years and kept to himself until this very moment. The bars of restraint and self-consciousness were lifted and now he could release his feelings as he pleased.

For just a second, the bliss subsided just enough for him to realize that this was absolutely, truly, one-hundred percent _real_ , and the younger man pulled away to look at Merkatz, make sure that he wasn’t angry or upset and make sure that he wasn’t misunderstanding.

In a silent answer, Merkatz smiled at him and leaned forward once more, this time for a chaste kiss. The brunet’s hands fell to his superior’s sides, his face burning brightly.

“Sir?” Only a single word, yet his voice cracked harder than it had in years.

The older man ran his hand up and down his side, gently comforting him, and oh _goodness_ how he didn’t know he needed that until now! “Will you be honest with me now, Schneider?”

Biting his lips together for only a moment, he found enough words to be truthful. After a kiss like that, he’d do anything he wanted. “Being by your side for all this time has let me see just how wonderful a person you are. If I were to be completely honest, I’m smitten with you. I have been for a long time now. …Sir.”

Merkatz’ laughter captivated him, but never once did he feel like he was being laughed _at_. He leaned closer to his face so their noses could press together, Schneider worried he would faint from the amount of blood rushing to his head, and held him there, just for a moment.

“You’re too cute for your own good, Schneider.” His voice, so deep and gentle, ran through his body like electricity.

“Admiral,” he spoke softly, as if being too loud would make the older man change his mind about him. Visibly nervous, Merkatz laid his hands over Schneider’s, rubbing softly at his knuckles. Though face obviously redder, he seemed to calm down considerably at the motion. “What does this mean?”

“I suppose you could take it however you’d like,” he mumbled, fairly embarrassed himself. Only now did the faint blush on his cheeks become noticeable to Schneider.

But such a non-committal answer wasn’t enough for the brunet. He wanted to know where he stood, how he felt, and where things could, _would_ go from here. His prayers had been answered, but something inside of him stirred, had been for a while, and as the night was already going well enough, he wondered if he had anything to lose by going further.

He would look back later and chastise himself for being so embarrassing, but at the moment, all he could think about was Merkatz. Merkatz. _Merkatz._

“Forgive me if I’m being too straightforward,” it came out in a jumbled mess, barely understandable but enough to get the admiral’s attention easily enough. The confusion on his face was so cute that Bernhardt almost forgot about how nervous he was, though it was quickly building back up. “But I want to touch you, Sir. If you’ll have me.”

The older man’s mouth opened slightly, but he stayed completely silent. Though Bernhardt looked desperate for an immediate answer, it took careful consideration for him to go any further. While he may not have looked as desperate, the admiral was more nervous than he could properly convey.

When the silence became too much and the brunet worried he had ruined everything, his superior, finally, spoke.

“Only if you’d like to, Schneider.”

It sounded fickle, but his soft tone made Bernhardt feel good about his answer. With newfound confidence, his arms snaked their way around Merkatz’ midsection, pulling him close and just holding him there for a moment. The comfort of being pressed so tightly against the person he had admired for so long was indescribable, bliss in its purest form.

So satisfied yet craving more and more, slowly, gently, Schneider pulled Merkatz to bed.

 

 

Merkatz’ small grunts and heavy breathing were a beautiful orchestra to back up the chorus of his mouth sliding over his skin, the noise so soft yet deafening, quiet but loud when exposed to pure embarrassment. He had dreamed about this for far too long, wondered for countless hours what the taste of his skin was like, what he looked like when he did this, and finally, his curiosity satiated, he couldn’t get enough.

Schneider wasn’t very good at this despite all the fantasies and he understood that well enough, he had no unreasonable expectations for his first time, but having his admiral’s large, calloused hand on his head, fingers threading through his hair and pushing ever-so-slightly down in a silent beg for more gave him immeasurable confidence. Carefully bringing his head back down, knowing his limits despite wanting to press himself to the base, he mused about how _big_ Merkatz was. He hadn’t had the faintest clue of what to expect before this, but now that it was in front of him (or, rather, inside of him), he found that it was very fitting: Big, cute, and just a bit intimidating—certainly Merkatz, if nothing else.

“Bernhardt.” It came out masked in a heavy breath, voice deep yet faint, held back by pleasure. His name, the first time the admiral had ever addressed him by it, was like music to his ears and undoubtedly the fuel for countless masturbation sessions to follow.

It spurred him on—Schneider pushed himself a little farther than he dared to before, savoring the taste of his skin on his tongue as he slowly brought more and more of him inside. The head began to slide down his throat, threatening to choke him but stopping just short.

Letting himself adjust, he pulled back again, tongue following his cock with a fat lick to the underside, lips stopping at the base of the head. That seemed to be the right combination, as Merkatz’ hand gripped _hard_ on his hair, his thighs trembling in response. Amused, the younger man rubbed small circles on the inside of his legs as he pushed himself back down, a symphony of whimpers his reward.

He only had to do this three more times before he heard the admiral’s breath hitch, barely managing to gasp out “Bernhardt, pull back—” before filling his mouth.

Salty, a bit sour, thick and plentiful—maybe he was more of a degenerate than he originally thought, he mused as he swallowed it all happily, his lips popping off from Merkatz’ cock with a small _pop_. It was like a dream, being able to finally taste him like this.

He really had become a degenerate… not that he really minded anymore.

The brunet looked up with half-lidded eyes, a small line of cum and drool dripping unceremoniously down from his lips to his chin. The sight was one Merkatz would commit to memory whether he wanted to or not, though he couldn’t think of a reason why he ever wouldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he offered with a pant, chest heaving from the intensity of his orgasm. Bernhardt, however, couldn’t see a reason for him to apologize, so he stared back in confusion.

His hands left their spots on Merkatz’ thighs and instead trailed up, one hand planted opposite of the admiral’s side, the other stroking up his chest in pure curiosity. With the opportunity to finally touch him, the younger man wouldn’t let it be wasted.

“Don’t be,” he responded softly, eyes meeting Merkatz’ and refusing to let them go. “It made me happy knowing that I made you feel that good.”

He got a smile in return, silence falling for a moment while the admiral caught his breath. His own erection was beginning to ache in need after all of Merkatz’ cute reactions, but to ask anything more of him felt like too much.

Only when a large hand found his back and pulled him close did he realize that they weren’t finished yet, that the admiral wasn’t going to let him sleep without the same glowing treatment he had been shown.

He always was the type to care for his subordinates.

Using that same hand for leverage, Merkatz sat up, leading Schneider out of his straddling position and to his side.

“Sir?”

“Let me take care of you, Bernhardt. Sit on my lap.”

For the umpteenth time that night, the brunet’s face burned bright at his command. He was in no position to refuse, though he wouldn’t even if he could. When the focus was on his silver-haired admiral, the embarrassment of his naked body was easy to ignore, but now, his body pressed against his, his dick standing tall and dripping in anticipation, he felt so _bare_ before him.

“Sir—”

“Willibald,” he corrected. “We’re alone, we don’t need titles here.”

“Wi—” He gasped, Merkatz’ rough, calloused hand gently wrapping itself around his cock, accompanied by an experimental, careful first pump. Even off the battlefield, he made sure to make the first strike. “Willibald— _oh_.”

The deep rumble of a laugh felt like fire against his ear as he leaned against the older man, shoulder digging into his fluffy, salt and pepper-laced chest and legs shaking in his lap. Another pump, and another, more and more but the pace never building up enough for him to lose himself completely.

So that gentleness hadn’t been a complete display of affection, Schneider thought in his haze. This wasn’t the gentle Merkatz, but the renowned admiral showing himself!

“Please,” he whimpered, turning to lean his back against Merkatz’ bare chest, hoping that the position would better incentivize him to do as he wanted. “Just a little faster.”

The pace was torture, Merkatz silently considering his surrender but not replying quite yet. Every movement was like gasoline to a fire, but still never enough to finish the job. He ached so badly, desperate not just to cum, but to do so by Merkatz’ hand.

Schneider suddenly felt fluffy hairs and soft lips on his neck, catching him off guard and casting his thoughts into the all-consuming fire of his mind. Not like he needed them now anyway. Kiss after kiss left him panting, whimpering at every little bite and suck and nibble on the thin, sensitive skin.

“If this is a negotiation,” another kiss to his neck. This time, it was punctuated with light sucking—ah, he was leaving marks, wasn’t he..? Would the collar of his uniform really be able to cover them all? “You’ll need to offer me something in return, Bernhardt.”

Dazed but desperate for release, Schneider turned his head, his arm reaching back to lift up the admiral’s face and lead him into a desperate, sloppy kiss. He didn’t care if was hasty or bad—to expect better from someone with no experience would have been an uncharacteristically ignorant move on his superior’s part—he just wanted to earn his climax, and he needed to do so _soon._

It was enough for Merkatz, who slid his tongue into the eager commander’s mouth, impressed enough by the desperation of the younger man that he would give him whatever he wanted. If only all battles could be so easily negotiated through.

His hand picked up the pace, the admiral’s other arm wrapping around his subordinate and holding him close. It took only moments for Schneider’s whimpers to grow into needy moans, his hips bucking out of tempo to Merkatz’ thrusts as he finally, after what felt like too long, came undone.

It was blindingly intense, to put it mildly. In the span of an hour, Bernhardt had gone from dreaming of the older man to finally being touched by him. It was like every feeling he had bottled up inside had spilled over in a few seconds, leaving him dazed and completely, utterly satisfied.

Merkatz’ hand on his waist pulled up to instead run through Schneider’s hair, a small comfort that he pushed back into, eating up all the attention he offered. When he pulled his hand down just a bit, instead resting it on his cheek, the brunet took a hold of his arm and nuzzled against his palm as if drinking up every last bit of affection he could, his eyes never once breaking away from the older man’s.

The small shows of affection lasted a while, eventually ending with Schneider’s cheek resting against the admiral’s chest, the soft mixture of fat and muscle and the thick patch of hair serving as an unusually great pillow. Every so often, Merkatz’ hand would run itself over the top of his head, smoothing over his chocolate brown locks as if to say _“I don’t have any regrets about this.”_

Curled up against the man he admired so, Schneider eventually dreamed of a life with him much better than could actually ever be.


End file.
